Store self-service system



J. H. CARROLL.

STORE SELF-SERVICE SYSTEM.

APPLECATIGN FILED JULY 19. 1919.

A 1,347,936; Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

J. H. CARROLL. STORE SELF-SERVICE SYSTEM.

JULY 1,347,936.

' Patented July 27, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- J. H. CARROLL.

STORE SELF-SERVICE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. I919.

Patentefl July 27, 1920. .LT'W O I .v if 7 a 7. W I N "32 S} 3 (q Q o E R I o w I w k s w a l fi g A} m [q J R x L wq UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. CARROLL, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR To LIBERTY sELE''sEavIcE CORPORATION, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF NORTH' CAROLINA sToEE SELF-SERVICE- SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CARROLL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at vide a novel arrangement of counters and traveling display racks or bins in which merchandise may be advantageously displayed and the task of the customer in waiting on himself may be facilitated. It 'is' further my object to provide such a system and arrangement of the store as will, make it possible for a store carrying a large number of goods to be conducted by 3 per-- sons.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention- Figure 1 is a diagrammaticplan view of my invention; 1 v

Fig. 2 is a top plan of my endleSS conveyer display racks;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal. section of same, partly in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section-0n line Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3; and r Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view-of the shelves. v

Like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several'views.;

Referring to Fi 1 of the drawings I provide a store A aving at its entrance a turnstile B at which the customers enter and through which also they must depart. I provide a desk 0 near the entrance positioned so as to provide a narrow passage along which the customers must pass in single file and which extends. between the. bundle wrapper desk E and the cashiers "desk D. I provide adesk D placed near the entrance and exit device or turnstile B and positioned so as to provide a narrow passage along which the customers must pass in single file when entering and lea'v} ing. the store; I further provide acashiers desk and a bundle wra-ppers' desk Standard goods are displayed on stationary} counters or series of shelves F, and, if the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J uly 27, 1920- Application filed July 19, 1919'. Serial No. 312,006. i I I V store is a large one, on the spaced rear counters or series of shelves G leading to which are passages H, through which the customer may pass at will to the aisles J The shelves F are not so high but that the floor walker or supervisor may have a clear View to the aisles J to observe customers. At the center of the store is a space K, occupied by a floor walker or supervisor, whose func; tion is to answer any question of customers and to give them any advice orassistance necessary although he is not a-sales'man in the ordinary sense of that term. "I provide an endless conveyer L, suitably-operated and which carries a series of display racks M which are moved along in front of cus-"' of time before each customer and then be .-moved along tothe customers next beyond automatically. The series of shelves F and G, may have their individual shelves arranged in consecutive staggered relation.

The customer enters the turnstile B; is given a check by the cashier at the cashiers stand D, picks up a basket and passes along passage Q through the store and wanders around through the aisles R and J at will selecting whatever goods may appeal, to her, or takes a seat on one of the stools N and selects goods from the display racks Mas they are successively moved along'in front of her in their endless course. 'When the customer has completed her purchase she passes out through passage 0, stopping at the bundle wrapp'ers desk E where her bundles are wrapped and where the prices of the various goods are punched on a.

check. The check and money in payment of any purchases made isturned in tofthe cashier at the cashiers' desk D 'justjbefore .the customer leaves the store. The rear aisles J preferably h av'e" t he [floor built higher than the floor the aisles R'adja-v cent the endless'conveyer. Display'racks are arranged in tiers, as illustrated inlFigj 2,.and are removably 'adaptedto the endless conveyer so as to facilitate the re laceme t or repair of any that may. get. out. of orderl Referring to Figs, are al rovidea uit-f able motor .1 having a driving shafl a 31 d worm gear .3 which. engages gear 14, Gear 4;; drives a shaft 5 which carries a worm gear 6 afiixed to a rotatatfle vertical shaft 8 to which is a-flixed also a suitable segmental gear 9, such as shown in Fig. 55 and which intermittently engages and (drives gear 10. Gear 10 is afiixed to the vertical endless conveyer drive shaft .11, to the upper end 'Of which is aflixed a suitable conveyer driving gear 12 which drives the endless conveyer L. The chain conveyer L -carries spaced posts 14 on which are removably mounted members 15 of the display shelves M, the post 14 extending through suitable openings 16 in shelf members 15, as shown in Fig. 4. The series of shelves M each have vertically disposed compartments 1'7 :and an inclined compartment 18, which compartments carry? merchandise or goods for which there is expected to be the greatest :sale. I provide a post 19 carrying a gear 20 similar to member 12 loosely mounted on post 19 and en- ;gaging endless conveyer L as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Conveyer L is preferably ar ranged the form of an ellipse. While I prefer to intermittently operate the endless conveyer so that the display shelves will stop for a few moments before each customer, it is within the contemplation of my invention to operate the endless conveyer continuously instead of intermittently, when desired.

By providing the store system above described the usual expenses for service in waiting on customers is reduced to .the minimum, as the customersin this store may conveniently and in fact must wait on themselves. At the same time the possibility of misappropriation of incoming receipts by sales persons is reduced to the minimum by the one cashier at the deskD; and the cashier in turn is always within view of the supervisor on the floor space or, platform K. With a system of this sort it is also possible to sell the goods for less because of the reduced expenses in i'conducting the store.

- Further by providing the spaced series of stationary shelves F and J with the aisles J elevated above the aisles R an effective supervision of all the'cus'tomers. in the store by a single supervisor on theplatform K of the store is made possible;

While I prefer to operate the endlessconveyer carrying the traveling display racks, by means of an, electric motor 1, it is within the contemplatlon of my invention to utilize "any suitable source of power for this purable to the selection of'the customer, a

.the endless conveyer, a

supervisorls platform at the center of the store, an endless conveyer carrying display racks, said endless conveyer inclosing the supervisors platform, stools arranged opposite the consecutive display racks carried by the endless conveyer, and means for operating the endless conveyer.

2. In a self-service store,'the combination of an entrance and exit device for admitting customers in single file, a cashiers desk in proximity to said entrance, series of stationary shelves adapted to carry goods available to the selection of the customer, a second series of stationary shelves spaced behind the first series of shelves, elevated .aisles extending in front of said second series of stationary shelves, a supervisors platform at the center of the store, an endless conveyer carrying display racks, said endless conveyer inclosing the'supervisors platform, stools arranged opposite the consecutive display racks carried by'the endless conveyer, and means for operating the endless conveyer. i 3. In a self-service store, the combination of an entrance and exit device for admitting customers in single file, a cashiers desk in proximity to said entrance, series of stationary shelves adapted to carry goods available to the selection of the customer, a supervisors platform at the center of the store, an endless conveyer carrying display racks, said endless conveyer inclosing the, super-' visors platform, stools arranged opposite the consecutive display racks carried by the endless conveyer, a' bundle wrappers desk spaced a short distance from the entrance and exit device, and a counter extending between the bundle wrappers desk and the cashiers desk, whereby the customers must pass out in single file past the bundle wrapper-and the cashier.

4. In a self-service store, the combination of an entrance and exit device for admitting customers in single file, a cashiers desk in proximity to said entrance, series'ofstationary shelves adapted to carry goods avail-v able to the selection of the customer, a supervisors platform at the centenof the store, an endless conveyer carrying display racks, said endless conveyer inclosing the supervisors platform, stools arranged opposite the consecutive displa racks carried by undle wrappers desk spaced a short distance from the entrance and exit device, and a counter extending between the bundle wrappers desk and the cashiers desk, whereby the customers must pass out in single file past the bundle wrapper and the cashier.

5. In a self-service store, an endless chain conveyer su porting and carry' a multiplicity of display shelves, including upper inclined display racks and lower vertical display racks, the endless conveyer being gear member, said means including an ina'rranged in substantially elliptical form, t'ermittent actuating gear, and a motor for and means for operating said conveyer. continuously driving the aforesaid appa- 6. In a self-service store an endless conratus, whereby the endless conveyer will be 5 veyer carrying a series of merchandise disintermittently operated so as to allow the 15 play racks, spaced gear members engaging display racks to rest stationary a few moand supporting said endless conveyer, one ments before Waiting customers before beof said gear members being loosely mounted ing moved along in their endless course suband the other being a driven member, Worm stantially as and for the purposes described. 10 gear operated means for driving the latter JAMES H. CARROLL. 

